The thoughts and writings on this blog are the thoughts of Jeff and do not necessarily represent the views of St. Stephen Lutheran Church and/or Lutheran Campus Ministry of Southwest Minnesota State University.

Monday, January 19, 2009

MLK: Quotes

On MLK Day, I wanted to share sme of the quotes from him that I believe that we need to keep in our mind:

A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approachingspiritual death.

I know that there are many that "justify" the amount that we spend on the military, but I think that MLK hit this on the head. We need to focus on social issues and the injustices that come along with them.

The curse of poverty has no justification in our age. It is socially as cruel and blind as the practice of cannibalism at the dawn of civilization, when men ate each other because they had not yet learned to take food from the soil or to consume the abundant animal life around them. The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty.

Poverty has stronghold onour country. We, as a nation, could end poverty. However, we really never have had a full-scale attempt to do it. It needs to be done. Ther are a few organizations that are really stepping up to the plate. I will be watching those organizations closely.

If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.

What a powerful statemen, is there something that you truly would die for? If so, that is what you are living for - every breath. Now, if there isn't anything that you are willing to die for ... are you really living?

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.

I think that there are many that carry the "hate" card around with them. What woud happen in our lives and our world's life if we truly played the love card on every transaction?

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'

Such a self-explanatory quote and a quote that should be easy for us to follow and do but in the self-centered world that we find ourselves in (so much), it seems impossible and how sad is that.

Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.

Thinking about this quote as we are in war to give people peace .... hmmmm

We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.

I am guilty and need to repent. I know that I have been silent on too many issues regarding the injustices that folks face. We need to let our voice be heard and we need to stand up for some people.

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These are just a few quotes. There are hundreds that we could pull out and learn from. These are some that "float" to the top. Are there any MLK quotes that stand out to you, wehter they are on this list or out there that you have heard and meant something to you?